Thread controller for sewing-machine take-ups



June 26, 1923. 1,460,177

J. C. RINGE ET AL THREAD CONTROLLER FOR SEWING MACHINE TAKE-UPS Filed June 20. 1921 INVENIOR John 6.1306 2 and Alena z'sserv BY a ATTORN EY Patented June 28, 15923.

intent? .ronn c. amen ann HENRY c. mssnn, or sraarroan, CONNECTICUT, assrenons T were smenn nanoracrnama comranr, or nmzannrn, new JERSEY, A con- POEATION OF NEW JERSEY.

/ 'rnnnan corrraonnnn ron snwnvs-nacnrni: TAKE-UPS.

Application filed June 20, 1921. Serial Ito. 478,780.

To alzwhomtmyconcem:

Be it known that we, Jomv C. HINGE and HENRY C. Nissan, citizens of the United States, residing at Stratford, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Thread Controllers for Sewing- Machine Take-Ups, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to improvements in thread-controlling devices particularly adapted for use with sewing machines employing rotary take-ups and is in the nature of an improvement on the construction disclosed in the U. S. patent to 0. 1B. Brush and S. Borton, No. 675,438, dated June 4:, 1901.

The invention has primarily for its object the provision of positively acting means serving to prevent continuous winding of the thread upon the rotary take-up of a sewing machine under the abnormal condition of the breaking of the thread between 25 the take-up and the work.

To the attainment of the object of the invention, the present improvement comprehends the provision of a thread-nipping or -holding device rendered effective to nip the thread between the thread-supply and the take-up upon the occasion of the breaking of the thread, between the take-up and the work, causing a winding of the broken thread upon the take-up. The act of nipping the thread in this manner restrains the takefrom drawing thread from its supply, thereby breaking the thread between the thread-supply and the take-up, conseuently preventing further winding of the 't .read upon the take-up. The broken thread already wound upon the take-up may then be readily pulled ofl from the take-up pins or studs, as only a few turns of the take-up, under this abnormal condition, cause the second breaking of the thread in the manner described.

The thread-nipping device, in its preferred embodiment, is associated with the usual thread-guide adjacent the take-up and comprises a stationary thread-nipping surface formed on the thread-guide block detachably secured upon the head of the overhanging bracket arm of the sewing machine. Adapted. to coact with this surface is a movable thread-nipping surface provided on a lever, pivotally sustained intermediate lts ends upon the threadide block and over which lever the three is led from the thread-guide to the take-up. During the normal sewing operation, the angle of the thread leading from thethread-guide is such as not to cause any pressure upon the threadnipper lever, but should the thread start to wind upon the usual take-up studs, this angle is changed sufliciently to cause actuation of the lever and a consequent nipping of the thread to restrain the take-up from further drawing thread from its supply.

In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a front end elevation, partly in section, of a sewing machine embodying the present improvement and illustrating the change in angle of the lead of the thread to the takeup from normal to abnormal conditions. Fig. 2 is a top-plan view, partly in section, of a portion of the overhanging arm of the sewing machine. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the thread-guide block and attached thread-nipping device.

Referring to the drawings, the sewing machine to which the present improvement has been applied is shown as constructed with a base 1 from which rises the vertical standard 2 of the overhanging bracket-arm 8 terminating in the head 4. Suitably journaled in the overhanging bracket-arm is the rotary actuating shaft 5 carrying at its forward end the crank-disk 6 having the crank-pin 7 connected in a well known manner with the needle-bar 8 to impart vertical reciprocatory movements thereto in suitable bearings provided in the head 4, the needlebar 8 carrying the needle 9, as usual. 00- operating with the needle 9 in the formation of lock-stitches is the rotary loop-taker 10 actuated in any suitable manner. The feeddog 11 adapted to at intervals project through openings in the throat-plate 12 serves the usual function of feeding the work past the point of seam-formation, while the presser-foot 13 opposed to the feed-dog is carried by the presser-bar 14 journaled for vertical movements in the head 4 of the machine.

The rotary take-up embodied in this machine comprises disks 15 and 16 held in spaced relation by riveted studs 17 and 18. The portions of the studs 17, 18 intermediate the take-up disks are the effective elements of the take-up, acting in a well known manner either directly or by means of rollers carried thereby upon the thread leading to the needle in the formation of stitches.

The take-up disk 15 is secured by means of-screws, as 19 upon a boss 20, disposed concentric with the actuating shaft 5 and carried by a crank-arm 21 projecting from the crank-pin 7. By means of this construction, each of the take-up studs 17 and 18 performs one rotation about the axis of the shaft 5 to each rotation of the latter, i. e., the paths of movement of the take-up studs 17 and 18 are concentric circles.

Detachably secured to the head of the machine by means of screws, as 22, at a point closely adjacent the take-up disks, is a thread-guide block 23 formed or otherwise provlded with oppositely projecting ears, as 24, having apertures, as 25, entered by the fastenin screws 22. The block 23 is provided wit a thread-guiding aperture 26 through which the thread T, drawn from a thread-supply 27 through a tension device 28, is led in its passage to the take-up. A thread-nipping lever 29 is fulcrumed intermediate its ends upon the block 23 by means of a pivot-pin 30 secured in the block by a set-screw 31. The rearward end of the lever 29 is provided with an offset lip 32 of a sufficient weight to normally hold this end of the lever depressed against a stop-pin 33 projectin from the block 23. The inner surface of t e lip 32 terminating in the edge 34 is adapted to coact with a corresponding surface 35 formed ;on the block 23 to, when from any cause the forward end of the lever 29 is depressed, positively grip the thread led over the edge 34 to the thread-aperture 26.

During the normal sewing operation, the angle of the thread emerging from the aperture 26 is never such as to exert sufi'icient pressure upon the forward portion of the lever 29, over which the thread is led to the take-up, as to cause the rearward end of the lever to be raised sufiiciently to nip the thread. In Fig. 1 is illustrated, in full lines, substantially the osition of the lowest angle of the thread when there is any pressure thereon by reason of the action of the take- 11 studs. It will be observed that the lead of the thread from the thread-aperture 26 is to the take-up 17, thence to the stud 18, thence to the needle, and that from the aperture 26 to the stud 17 the thread lies in a straight line, illustrating that there is no substantial pressure 11 on the front portion of the lever 29. owever, when the thread breaks between the take-up and the work during a sewing operation, the dangling end of thread is likely to wind about the two take-up studs 17 and 18, thereby drawing the thread from its supply. At

According to the present construction, ad-

vantage is taken of the fact that when the thread starts to wind about the take-up studs, the lead of the thread from the aperture 26 changes from the stud 17 to the stud 18 as illustrated by the dotted lines in Fig. 1. The change in angle of the lead of the thread is suflicient to positively depress the forward end of the lever 29, thereby raising the lip 32 to positively restrain movement of the thread through the aperture 26, consequently preventing further winding of the thread about the take-up studs. Further rotation of the take-up will thereupon break the thread between the takeup and the thread supply and after stopping of the machine the few turns of thread wound about the take-up studs may be readil withdrawn therefrom. In case the threa breaks during the sewing operation at a point so close to the take-u as not to leave a sufficient length of threa to start winding about the take-up studs, the present nipping device would not be thrown into action, but in that event there would be no occasion for its action. The present device is therefore effective to prevent any substantiald winding of thread about the take-up stu s.

The portion of the machine head 4 adjacent the guide-block 23 is cut away as at 36 to afford clearance for the lever 29, the forward end 37 of which latter is offset laterally so as to prevent the thread, looping outwardly beyond the take-up during the sewing operation, from catching on the lever 29. The offset end 37 of this lever therefore serves as a guard. A feature of this device is that it may be readily applied to machines in use without altering the timing of the operative parts of the machine.

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention, what we claim herein is 1. In a sewin machine, the combination with a rotary ta e-up and a thread-supply of means for preventing the drawing of thread from its supply under an abnormal condition of the winding of the thread upon the take-u said means including relatively movable e ements rendered effective by the action of the thread.

2. In a sewing machine, the combination with a rotary take-up and a thread-supply, of a thread-nipping device located on the thread-sup ly side of the take-up and normally ine active to grip the thread acted macaw upon by said take-up, and means controlled by the thread for operating the thread-nipper to cause breakage of the thread under the abnormal condition of the winding of the thread about the take-up.

3. In a sewing machine, the combination with a rotary take-up and a thread-supply, of relatively movable elements located on the thread-supply side of the take-up, and an arm connected with one of said elements, said arm being constructed and arranged to normally lie closely adjacent to the thread leading to the take-up, and acted upon by said thread to actuate the element connected thereto to prevent drawing of thread from its supply under an abnormal condition of the winding of the thread upon said takeup.

4:. In a sewing machine, the combination with a rotary take-up and a thread-supply, of a thread-guide for directing the thread to said take-up, a lever pivotally supported adjacent said thread-guide, a stationary thread-mi ping surface, and a thread-nipping sur ace provided on said lever for coaction with said stationary surface, said lever having a portion positioned to be acted upon by the thread under an abnormal condition of the winding of the thread upon the take-up.

5. In a sewing machine, the combination with a rotary take-u and a thread-supply, of a thread-nipping lever rendered effective to prevent drawing thread from its supply by an abnormal action of the thread to wind upon said take-up, a pivotal support for said lever, and a guard for preventing the thread from catching on said lever during the normal sewing operation.

6. A thread-nipper for sewing machines comprising relatively movable elements efiective for nipping the sewing thread thercbetwcen, and means for rendering said thread-nipper effective by an abnormal lead of the thread occurring during the normal operation of the machine.

In testimony whereof, we have signed our names to this specification.

JOHN C. RINGE. HENRY C. NISSEN. 

